1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electrical connectors and housing therefor and, more particularly, to electrical connectors to be mounted in an insulating housing for use with contact pins of an electrical switch.
2. Prior Art
It is known to terminate wire leads which are electrically conducting at a group of contact pins which are adapted to be frictionally engaged in female receptacle terminals connected by suitable leads to the rest of the circuit. A housing can secure and position the terminals for connection to the contact pins.
Some problems encountered in forming a good connection between the terminals and the contact pins include insuring a good mechanical and electrical connection will be maintained with each pin despite vibrations and various other forces which can be encountered in automobile environment. For example, the temperature and humidity can greatly vary in an automobile environment. The housing must provide electrical isolation between the individual electrical terminals therein to avoid possible short circuiting between adjacent terminals with such undesirable results as inoperative electrical components or damage to the electrical components.
Further, particularly in automobile manufacture, it is desirable to have simple, low cost and reliable manufacturing techniques which quickly produce a secure contact. There must be ease of assembly when fitting the terminal into the housing and when fitting the contact pin into the electrical assembly including the housing and terminal. It is desirable, both from the viewpoint of customer satisfaction and reducing expenses, to minimize the number of repairs necessitated by contact failure. Failure of a simple contact connection can result in the failure of the attached electrical component, such as a power window, which may cause a variety of undesirable side effects. The automobile environment also requires that the electrical assembly including housing and terminal, be both small and light weight. Often, a great many electrical components must be packed into a relatively small space, such as an arm rest which provides electrical control for four windows and various other electrical accessories. These are some of the problems this invention overcomes.